Alex Rider Meet Minerva Paradizo Again
by HeartbrokenMisadventure
Summary: After being brutally stabbed, Alex awakens in the hospital only to find that his troubles are far from over. His mystery attackers have finally revealed themselves and are now going after Alex and Artemis personally.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: So, here it is, the sequal to Alex Rider Meet Artemis Fowl Your New Psychiatrist. For my new readers, if you haven't read the first one, I'm not so sure you'll be able to follow in this one, just so you know. As always, this fic is beta'd by the lovely Eleni_pixie. Also, I'm not to fond of this title, so if anyone has any ideas, feel free to give them. I'm open to suggestions on this one.

_________

_Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep._

The annoying beeping of the EKG was, quite honestly, beginning to drive Alex Rider crazy. It wasn't that he'd been listening to it for hours – he hadn't – or that the infernal noise had finally awoken him – it hadn't. No, it was simply that the noise told everything Alex did not want to know; he was in the hospital (again), and he was severely wounded (again).

The noise was suddenly drowned out by a few distant voices. Alex opened one eye and gazed blearily around the empty, white room. The voices became distinguishable and loud. Very loud. Mrs. Jones and Artemis Fowl were not happy.

"Oh, believe me, Mr. Fowl" Mrs. Jones's disembodied voice snapped venomously (Alex assumed that Butler was not by his young charges side. Mrs. Jones would have to be deranged to speak that way to the young genius with his hulking man-mountain guardian behind him), "we _will_ be looking into this. We sent him to you to cure him –"

"And to spy on me" Artemis's voice was deadly quiet.

Mrs. Jones paused. "Well, yes. Now look what happened! He's in the hospital! You tried to kill him when you found out he was spying for us. I can assure you, Fowl, that you will be facing charges!" Her voice grew louder suddenly. Alex guessed that Artemis had tried to interrupt her again.

"I'm taking Alex back to England with me when he awakens. Expect a lawsuit on your desk first thing Monday morning."

"Madam" Artemis said coldly, "this whole argument is preposterous and a waste of time. I've known since the beginning that Alex was told to spy on me. You spoke to him merely three weeks ago and he told you he found nothing. Why would I kill him only to bring him to the hospital to be saved? More so," his voice also rose minutely, "I consider Alex to be a dear friend. I would never do _anything_ to harm him."

"The fact still remains, Mr. Fowl, that these are _very _suspicious circumstances. There will be an investigation and, friendship or no, Alex will be as far away from you as possible."

There was a pause. "That decision should lie with Alex, Mrs. Jones. He is a very smart, young man and is more than capable of making that choice himself. If he wishes to leave, I will not stop him. If he wishes to stay, you will not be able to take him."

"Is that a threat?"

Artemis sounded affronted when he next spoke. "Madam, do I look like a boy capable of threatening, or carrying out a threat, to any intelligence agency?"

Mrs. Jones didn't answer and Alex snorted to himself. Artemis looked like the type of boy who was capable of doing whatever he pleased. Hell, Artemis _was_ the type of boy capable of doing whatever he pleased.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, Mrs. Jones, I'd like to check on Alex."

"You are _not_ going in there alone." Alex wrinkled his nose, unsure of whether he should feel touched or offended by Mrs. Jones concern for him.

"You are more then welcome to join me." Artemis quipped. Again, Mrs. Jones said nothing.

Two seconds later, the pair entered the room. Artemis's brow was furrowed slightly, but the angry expression vanished when the pale boy realized his friend was awake.

"You're awake." Mrs. Jones announced unnecessarily.

"How do you feel?"

Alex paused, taking stock. "Numb, but I'm really not complaining."

"We were just talking about you." Mrs. Jones said, smiling.

Alex nodded. "Yes, I heard."

"Then you know Mrs. Jones wished you to return to England." Artemis said bluntly.

"But the choice is yours, Alex." She cut in.

Alex paused again, unsure of how to phrase his answer. There was more as stake here then friendship. "Something, or someone, is attacking me." He said slowly. "They very nearly killed me." He looked up at Mrs. Jones. "But that wasn't Artemis's fault. I want to stay. For one, Artemis is probably the only one who can figure all this out: that's why you sent him to me in the first place. Secondly, who ever is doing this is bound to find out I'm alive and come after me again. I don't want this thing anywhere near Jack."

Artemis tried --and failed-- to suppress a smirk. Mrs. Jones's look turned sour.

"Alright." She said grudgingly. "Alright, you can stay. But the second this is over, I want you in my office." She turned on her heel and, with one last contemptuous glare at Artemis, left.

Alex looked over at his friend. "What the bloody hell happened to me?"

Artemis winced, looking slightly guilty. "Oh. Well--"

"Sorry, Sir." A plump nurse interrupted, shoving her head into the room. "Mr. Rider needs his rest. I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

Artemis nodded, looking relieved. "We can talk later." He gave a small smile, and was gone.

"I'm not tired." Alex said stubbornly.

The nurse sighed. "I figured." She pulled a syringe out of her pocket. "So I came prepared." She shoved the needle into the I.V. Within seconds, Alex was fast asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

This chapter was, as always, beta'd by Eleni-pixie. Enjoy!

***

Alex's muscles tensed as he slowly dragged himself from his slumber. He had the eerie sensation that he was not alone and that someone was watching him while he slept. He opened his eyes, looking straight into the mismatched gaze of Artemis. At first, it didn't seem like Artemis had realized that Alex was awake –indeed, he was staring off into space, lost in his own mind's digressions.

"Good morning," Alex greeted cheerily, causing the boy to jump. "I want to cut straight to the chase: _What the hell happened to me_?"

"Um," the normally confident genius looked, just like he had yesterday, like he wanted nothing more than to flee the room. He reached out as he spoke, pouring Alex a glass of water. The young spy figured it was more for something to do with his hands than a generous gesture. "I'm not quite sure. I've gotten several threatening e-mails, including another claiming responsibility for this whole mess, from a 'youregoingtodieasshole gofuckyourself . com.'.'"

Alex choked on his water and just about fell out of the bed laughing at hearing Artemis Fowl – pompous, proper Artemis Fowl – say 'fuck' and 'asshole.' The sudden spasm shot pins and needles into Alex's stomach. The stitches, and the wound itself, were still raw but the pain only tweaked at him: he'd had much worse.

"Foaly has run several checks," Artemis continued as if he hadn't heard Alex laughing, "but he's hitting dead-ends. Whoever this is keeps using public computers. He's tried to catch this person on camera, but there's never the same person: either they're going in disguise or there are a fair few people involved in this."

"What about your mother? Is she OK? Have they mentioned her at all in these e-mails? What about Minerva?"

Artemis held up a hand, holding off Alex's questions. "My mother is fine, albeit extremely angry at being possessed _again_ and no, they haven't made any mention of her in the letters. It seems she was just a pawn." He paused, his facial features slowly becoming cloudy, unreadable.

"As for Minerva – I am not sure. She boarded her plane well enough, and several of the flight attendants and passengers remember seeing her there. The pilot said they landed as planned and she left the plane alone. However, there are several things that do not add up. Like myself, Minerva owns her own plane: it doesn't make sense that she traveled public, especially since she was so adamant about getting here as quickly as possible. It would have been considerably faster to travel on a private jet. Also, no one in the Dublin airport recalls seeing her – she doesn't even show up on camera – but her bags were collected."

Alex swallowed thickly. "Could she –" he broke off, unsure of how to voice his next question. Artemis and Minerva were friends. It wouldn't make sense that she'd attack him.

Artemis sighed, his face still a blank slate. As a genius, he'd already considered the option that Minerva was a player in this deadly game. "It's possible she's a part of this. It's also possible they threatened her and kidnapped her after she left the plane. Unfortunately, it has been three weeks since I last spoke to her. If they kidnapped her, I'm certain that they would have asked for ransom by now." He paused, frowning. "Either that or they would have asked for whatever it is they want."

There was a tentative knock on the door. Both boys' eyes instantly swiveled to the source of the noise. The door opened slowly and a young, male doctor slowly ambled in. His eyes had a glazed look to them, as if he wasn't really focused on anything.

"G-Good morning, Alex. Mr. Rider," the doctor stuttered. "We have recent – just received your test results. Everything is peachy – just fine. Fine. You can leave anytime you want." He turned stiffly and walked back out of the room, leaving the door wide open.

Alex raised an eyebrow, his brown eyes searching out his friend's. Artemis looked a bit sheepish. "I had Holly mesmerize the doctor. He was more difficult than most and her powers are wearing thin," he admitted. He cleared his throat and Alex felt his eyebrow arch higher. He'd never seen the genius so uncomfortable. Obviously, there was something he was hiding, something he was purposely not telling the spy. "Well, I'll leave you to get dressed. Butler is waiting outside with the Bentley and the fairies are arriving at the Manor as we speak." With one last, ill-at-ease, glance at his new friend, the raven-haired teen left the room.


	3. Chapter 3

The city of Versailles was an absolutely beautiful city, full to the brim with museums, restaurants, and tourists. The buildings were kept authentic but were also up to date, to attract as many tourists as possible.

To the young, raven haired boy wandering around, the city was nothing more than a giant, old, money making machine. Sure, the château was beautiful and the French food was exquisite, but, really, it wasn't worth your time. It was a boring old city, with boring old buildings filled with boring old people.

It was, however, the perfect city to execute his plan. He and his partner were surrounded by people. People walking, running, talking on their cell phones, playing on laptops, wearing suits, wearing expensive French clothes, and wearing outlandish baggy shorts coupled with flowered shirts. They both blended in perfectly.

His phone buzzed quietly in his pocket, seemingly to order him to answer. He did answer, but not because of the annoying vibrating. He answered because he knew who was calling him –only a few people had his number –and he was hoping for some good news.

"Bonjour," the young feminine, French voice greeted him, "How have things played out?"

He smiled, revealing sharp incisors, looking very much like a vampire in the fading light. "Perfectly, even with the minor setback with Alex. They have no idea who's behind this. They haven't been able to trace the e-mails and they haven't been able to make out a face from the cameras. Things are going exactly as planned."

The girl on the other end smiled eerily. "Tres bon," she said, sounding as happy as ever. "Have you recorded the video?"

He nodded, though he knew she couldn't see him. "Yes, I was just heading back to the hotel to finish the final editing. I'll send it tonight."

"Good. It says everything I wanted it to, correct?"

"Yes, every word. You can look at it yourself, if you'd like."

The girl paused. "Yes. We need to make sure that everything is perfect and that Alex –and the fairies –doesn't suspect anything at first. They cannot realize who's behind this too early. How far are you?"

"I'm on le Petite allee de Saint-Antoine." She disconnected without another word. He sighed, in an almost weary way. To an outsider, it would seem like she was the brains of the operation when, in reality, it was he. If this 'superior-than-thou' attitude didn't cease, he would have to put a stop to it himself.

****

The Trianon Palace was the only part that made this trip to Versailles worthwhile. The giant, white building sat on acres of lush, green, French grass, surrounded by beautifully sculpted bushes. What is more important, he wasn't paying for the hotel –not that she didn't try to make him pay.

"What's the point," she'd demanded angrily on the private jet three days earlier, "of having such a famous, rich family if you don't use their money?"

He'd chuckled. "Now, now mon cher," he'd cooed, "I'm paying for everything else. Besides, Foaly has all my aliases. If one of them were to pop up . . ." She'd rolled her eyes. In the end, she'd paid for the hotel.

The boy walked over the black-and-white, checkered marble floor, barely paying attention to the guests swiftly moving out of his path. His mind was miles away, rapidly throwing out options and outcomes of this little scheme. He really couldn't see any way that this could go wrong: the disguises were getting the centaur nowhere, the double had recorded the video, and the hotel was booked under her alias.

The rooms were on the second floor, but the boy wasn't in the mood to climb stairs –that would, not only involve exercise, but it would also get dust on his brand new suit –so he waltzed over to the gold elevator. After a simple push of a button, he was on his way.

His partner was sitting in one of the dark blue lounge seats –sticking out horribly in her red sundress –her blond hair twisted into a long braid, her eyes trained on a stack of papers in front of her. She looked up as he shut the door.

"Oh, good, you've arrived." She stood, and turned to face him. It was obvious she was trying to strike an impressive figure but it did no good as he was well aware that he was a great deal smarter than her. Also, he was a good foot taller. "I've just sent another e-mail. By the time Foaly gets it, traces it, and finds this computer," she gestured to the small laptop on the table that came with the room, "we'll be long gone." She smiled.

"Excellent." His long, pale fingers reached into the pocket of his jacket, pulling out a small camcorder. He held it, almost teasingly, in front of her. "I really don't think I need to edit this. Jesse did such a good job the first time."

She nodded. "That's perfect." She motioned to the suitcases piled up in the blue and black velvet chairs. "I've already packed our things. Our flight leaves at six for Aken."

He smiled his vampire smile as he began to upload the video. "Perfect. You've done well, mon cher."

She smiled back, looking, for the entire world, like a beautiful viper about to strike.

* * *

**A/N:** So, the discriptions I gave about the Trianon Palace were all correct, except for the golden elevator. I cannot claim that the Trianon has any elevator (I'd assume they do) nor that it is gold. Also, as of right now, the basic plot line is based off of one of Janet Evanovich's (many) books. I can't say which one just yet -- it would ruin my story line (which, for those of you who have read this particular book, I promise I only took the basic idea she had. Everything else will be changed), but I promise to give Mrs. Evanovich her full credit at the end of the story.

Thanks again to Eleni_pixie for the editing ^^


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Once again, editing done by Eleni_pixie. Also, I'd really like some feedback on this story. I'm not begging for reviews, I'd just like to know how I'm doing. I'm especially interested to know who you all think the boy was from the last chapter. I'm sure the girl was pretty easy . . .

___

Alex had ridden in the Bentley once before – when Butler had picked him up from the airport. The ride had been cozy and high-tech, and practically screamed, "There is a Fowl inside. We have too much money, as you can see, and our bodyguard will kill you if you bother us!" It was the type of car that Alex could see Artemis being chauffeured around in.

However, as attractive as the car was, Alex did not think it safe – seeing as there was a crazy person trying to kill him through spirits – to be so ostentatious. A rental Impala would do just fine. Alternately, if Artemis was going for safety, Alex would not object to a Hummer.

"Um, Artemis?" he asked, his eyes locking on the tinted window that separated the giant Eurasian man from his passengers as he slid in the back seat. "Should we . . . stand out this much?"

The other teen looked up from the handheld computer he was engrossed in. "What do you mean?"

"Well, we're being stalked by a crazed maniac who's trying to kill me. Shouldn't we be, I don't know, under the radar?"

Artemis blinked in bewilderment. "We are under the radar." Alex had nothing to say to that.

****

Fowl Manor looked abandoned, the spy noted. The horses, normally roaming, were tucked into the stalls. The driveway was empty and the garage door was shut tight. There were no lights on that Alex could see: but, then again, all the heavy tapestries were drawn.

He looked over at the genius inquisitively. He couldn't really imagine Artemis, Sr. allowing his house to go under lock down, without explanation, nor could he see the twins, Myles and Beckett, being locked in the house.

"They're gone," Artemis explained with a pained expression. "The fairies took them underground. They're mesmered, of course, except for mother." The car stopped and Artemis angled himself out of the car. "A team of fairies are here now. They'd like to meet you."

Artemis made quick introductions when they entered the house: the short man with the badge was Commander Trouble Kelp of the LEP, the blond woman with the badge was Commander Vinyaya of Section 8, and the centaur was, obviously, Foaly. Holly and Mulch made up the rest.

"You have a video message, Artemis," Foaly said gravely, cutting right to the chase. "Which I still haven't been able to trace. He made it in a park, transferred the video to a type of USB drive, uploaded it to another public computer and sent it." He shook his head. "This kid is smart."

"Almost as smart as you," Trouble grumbled. "I don't even think you gave us this much trouble."

Artemis ignored the comment, instead fixing the centaur with an intense gaze. "Has he said what it is he wants?"

Foaly pressed a button and a hologram flickered to life. It showed a young boy, tan with blond hair, maybe fifteen, sitting in a park. There was nothing around him except trees, and he had edited out any background noise. His black eyes burned with anger, though his face remained blank.

"See for yourself."

The hologram flickered again. The boy's mouth opened, then the video glitched and restarted.

"Hello, Artemis," he began pompously, "I'm sure, by now, you're wondering who it is that's been behind all these strange attacks on your friend." He paused, leaning forward slightly. "Well, I won't tell you my true name – that would just make the game so much shorter. I have big plans for this game, you see." He smiled. "So, instead, I will give myself a fake name: Hunter," he chuckled. "Rather apt, don't you think? _Artemis_ means _The Hunter_. The Hunter is now being hunted by Hunter." Artemis rolled his eyes at the pun.

He paused. "I'm not going to go into any theatrics. I have something you want – the spell to really stop these ghosts – and you have something I want. To tell the truth there are several things, but I'm not going to reveal them just yet. I'm sure you have friends with you, watching this with you. I'm also sure that you don't want them to know what it is you've done.

"You have until midnight tonight. You can send them anyway you like, it doesn't matter, just so long as they are no longer in your possession. I'll call at precisely 12:01 for you to tell me the good news. If you don't tell me good news, the deal is up and I start killing." He glowered at the screen. "This time, they won't survive."

The video ended. Everyone turned to Artemis.

He shrugged, looking honestly confused. "I can't imagine what it is I've stolen from him. I knew of everyone that I stole from, in some way or another, but I've never seen this boy before."

Trouble sighed. "Well, that puts us back to square one. Now, with a time limit."

"I have an idea," Vinyaya said, tossing her hair. "We use the mud boy," she pointed a finger at Alex, "as bait."

Artemis raised an eyebrow coolly, but everyone in the room knew him well enough to know that the statement had angered him. "How will that solve anything? This boy is after me, not Alex."

"Look," she cut in angrily, "they tried to kill him once. They obviously know that it didn't work. Eventually, they'll come back to finish the job. That's when we catch him."

"That's assuming they care enough _to_ come back," Holly pointed out. "They may have stabbed Alex to get at Artemis, to give him more reason to cooperate. Like you said: they know he survived. They haven't done anything about it. Using him as bait will just waste time."

"Well, don't see you coming up with a better idea, _Captain_," she spat.

"Unfortunately," Trouble cut in, grimacing, "I have to agree with Vinyaya. We have no idea what it is this kid wants." He glared accusingly at Artemis, as if he didn't believe he was telling the truth.

Artemis, already having guessed that no one believed him, sighed heavily. "Honestly, Commander, I have no idea who he is, or what it is I've taken. According to him, it was several things, but that doesn't seem sensible – I've never stolen from the same place twice."

"Yes, well," Vinyaya snarled, "with your track record, I suppose we should just trust you."

Artemis inclined his head, but said nothing.

Alex could feel his anger building. First, MI6 manipulated him, with no concerns about his well-being or his feelings. Now, the fairies were stepping up to do just that. Was there any part of this life that he got any say in?

"When do I get to voice my opinion on this subject?" he demanded, his voice louder than everyone's. "I am, after all, the one who's going to be used as bait."

Vinyaya opened her mouth, but Trouble and Holly both glared at her. "Let him speak," the LEP commander ordered. She glared right back, but kept silent.

"I think using me as bait is a stupid idea," he proclaimed. "This Hunter guy said nothing about wanting me, or even caring that I was alive. Also, if he's as smart as you all think, he'd be expecting a trap like this."

"So what do you propose we do?" Mulch asked, stepping forward.

The spy frowned, trying to remember his training and experience.

"I know what I'd want done," Artemis announced suddenly.

Holly raised her eyebrows. "Why did I suddenly just get a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach?"

Butler glanced over at her, speaking for the first time. "I don't know. I just got the same feeling."

The genius ignored them both, instead focusing on the two commanders. "I would want the person I was threatening alone. Not only is it emotionally and mentally frightening to be isolated, but it's much easier to manipulate one person. As he is after me," he paused and adjusted his tie, "I propose that I go as bait."

"No. No way!" Butler argued. "That is way too dangerous, Artemis, even for you." The hulking man mountain crossed his arms and shook his head. "I won't let you."

"You may not have a choice," he interjected quietly. "This plan will work. It's the only plan that will work."

Mulch grimaced and glanced guiltily over at Butler. "I gotta agree, Big Man. I mean, this kid's after Artemis. Why not give him what he wants? Both the LEP and Section 8 will be watching. Plus you," he added quickly, "so, there's really no threat."

"Except this is Artemis," the bodyguard pointed out. "Artemis can find a threat to himself while laying in bed. He's a tactical nightmare."

The moment the words _tactical nightmare_ escaped Butler's lips, Alex saw the genius' eyes light up. Much like Butler and Holly, he felt a strange, sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. He had a feeling he knew what was coming.

"We don't only have that," Artemis said slowly. Again, all eyes swiveled to him. "We also have a spy."

There was silence.

"That could work," Trouble said, catching on. "If this kid knows you, he knows that Butler is practically glued to you. He'd assume that Butler wouldn't let you go anywhere alone. So if you leave . . ."

"He'd take it to think that I want to cooperate," the raven-haired teen finished with a flourish.

"You can't stay here," Vinyaya pointed out. "For one thing, it's too guarded and second, he'd expect you to stay here." She paused. "Where else can you go?"

For once, the young genius didn't have an answer, something that both shocked and bothered the other occupants in the room. Artemis was supposed to be able to answer everything.

Alex felt a strange sensation growing in his throat. It was almost as if he wanted to speak. That was impossible though, because he didn't have any place for Artemis to go . . . It wasn't as if he could just . . .

"I know where you could go," he spoke up. This time, all the eyes focused on him.

He swallowed thickly. This was going to be a long day.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Once again, I give a huge thanks to the wonderful Eleni_pixie for betaing.

____

Jack Starbright had not heard from Alex in close to seven months. She was worried, but she kept telling herself that no news was good news. At least he wasn't seriously injured.

"Yeah, Jack," she muttered to herself, "because if something had happened, they'd be sure to immediately call you." She shook her head, more at herself than at the situation. So far, MI6 had refused to give her any information about the boy. Not where he was, how he was doing, or when he was coming home.

She went back to scrubbing the counters. House cleaning had never been her favorite activity, but ever since Alex had gone to MI6 about those dreams, it was something she found herself doing fairly regularly. So much so, that the house could officially be deemed immaculate. There was not one dust bunny, clump of lint, or insect to be found.

She set the rag down and wandered into the kitchen to get some food. She wasn't really hungry, but eating helped pass the time. Cooking, though still not her strong suit, took her mind off of living in an empty house. It took her mind off her dark thoughts off the missing Alex.

The phone rang in the distance, but she ignored it. MI6 wouldn't call and she really wasn't in the mood to talk to friends right now. Let the machine get it, she thought.

"Hello," she heard her voice call out from the living room and she grimaced, thinking her voice sounded far too squeaky. "You've reached Jack and Alex. We're not here right now, but leave your name and we'll get back to you soon." There was the telltale beep that told her the recording had started; followed by the most startling sound she'd heard in a long while –Alex's voice. She was so shocked she dropped the plate she was holding and stood rooted to the spot as the boy she'd been missing started to speak.

"Jack, it's Alex," he sounded hasty. Oh, God, she thought herself, please don't let him be in any trouble, "I'm fine." He knew her all too well. "In fact I'm coming home, tonight. Um," he paused and there was a muffled voice in the back ground. "I'm bringing a friend with me. I hope that's okay, I didn't really have much of a choice . . . Anyway, I'm fine. My flight should get in about 6 tonight and I'll explain everything then. I miss you. See you soon." He disconnected.

Though her feet stayed glued to the floor, her eyes traveled to the small wall clock perched above the sink. It was 4:30 now; if she hurried she might just make it there as his flight arrived.

******

Artemis, it was clear, was not comfortable being in public with only a young spy and an invisible fairy for protection. He stood uneasily as they waited to board the plane, his contact colored eyes darting around the tiny Dublin airport as if waiting for this homicidal maniac to jump out at him.

"This," he muttered to Alex and an invisible Holly – well, invisible to him: Alex, on the other hand, could see her just fine – "was a terrible idea. He will very surely be able to find me. It will just make matters worse if we don't give him what he wants."

Alex rolled his eyes as he took a seat in the waiting area. "First off, it was your idea to use you as bait," he pointed out dryly. "Second, you keep saying you don't know what it is he wants anyway. We're in no more danger than if we'd stayed at the manor."

"_We're_ not," he replied testily, "but your housekeeper is."

Alex had nothing to say to that – it was one of the reasons they'd brought Holly along. Mostly because, after the incidents earlier, it was clear Artemis was not in a good mood and was itching for a verbal fight.

It was very evident that Artemis was not a people person. Indeed, that fact was evident from the very beginning, but Alex had never any idea just _how much_ of a "non-people person" his new friend was. Artemis was accustomed to doing things his own way and having people just deal with it. That didn't happen in a crowded airport, as Artemis found out when he'd been asked to have his things rifled through. It was a random procedure, but Artemis had been the unlucky one to be selected. He'd created a scene, called the guards "mediocre" and told them that they "wouldn't be able to find a dangerous weapon if they were being struck with it." Alex and Holly quickly intervened (luckily, most of the security knew Alex and who he worked for) and they let him go.

What's more, Butler usually accompanied the young prodigy and, as a result, he was always given a wide berth. No one dared rub elbows with him, much less bump into him with the giant around. However, Butler was not here and most of the travelers didn't care about a scrawny teen standing in their way. They had no problem running into him.

"This is ridiculous," he now grumbled, staring at the orange plastic seats next to Alex in utter disgust. "They expect people to sit in these things? They're filthy! They are also horrible for the environment: all plastic. They're entirely too small!"

"Speak for yourself," Holly muttered from Alex's other side.

"There's not even an arm rest! Ugh!" He shook his head. "This simply will not do. No. I say we go back to the Manor and take the Lear Jet to England. It will be faster and much more . . . sanitary."

Holly, invisible to Artemis' eyes, rolled her own and sighed irritably. "Look, this was your idea, mud boy. So stop complaining, sit down, and shut up." The teen glowered at the disembodied voice, but took a seat, daintily. It didn't take a genius to know that when Holly Short called him a "mud boy," that she meant business.

"Jeez!" she exclaimed, reclaiming her own seat. "It's not like you to be so . . . prissy."

Artemis crossed his arms and turned his head away, muttering something that sounded a lot like, "I am _not_ being prissy. I don't get _prissy_."

******

Jack sat in the waiting room, eagerly awaiting the arrival Alex and his mysterious new friend. A crowd of people was suddenly around her, exiting the gate. She scanned the faces, trying to find the specific one she was looking for. After a few moments, she found what she was looking for.

Alex looked healthy, which shocked her. Usually when he left for long periods of time, he came back looking worse for wear. This time, however, was different.

'_Obviously, Jack,_'she thought to herself. '_He didn't go into the field this time.'_

He was accompanied by an extremely pale, extraordinarily skinny boy. He was just a hair taller than Alex, with wide set, deep blue eyes. His black hair was trimmed smartly, unlike Alex's longer style. There was a set to his mouth that told Jack he was neither comfortable nor pleased with this situation. She began to wonder exactly why Alex had brought him along.

Alex smiled when he saw her. He turned slightly toward his friend and pointed at her. The other boy nodded once and Alex quickened his pace. The moment he was within arm's reach, Jack wrapped the boy in her arms. She pulled back, holding him at arm's length to get a better look at him.

"Are you o.k.? What happened? Who's your friend? Why is he here? I mean, not that I mind – "

Alex chuckled. "I'm fine, Jack, I promise. I've been cured." He neglected the part where he could still see invisible fairies. "My friend is Artemis Fowl. He was my psychiatrist and he . . ." he trailed off, giving her a meaningful look. She felt her heart sink: so this _did_ have something to do with work.

"He needs a place to stay for a while," Alex said slowly. "I thought, after all the help he's given me, it was the least I could do."

She nodded once. "Of course." She turned toward the boy who had just joined the pair. "Hello, I'm Jack Starbright. It's good to meet you."

Artemis extended a hand. "I'm Artemis. It's a pleasure."

"Well," Jack said, smiling, "I suppose you both must be hungry. Come on, let's get your things and then we can go out to lunch. My treat."


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Once, again, much thanks to my lovely beta, Eleni_pixie!

__________

Alex Rider stepped out of the steaming hot shower, feeling more relaxed and content than he had in a long time, in spite of the fact that, once again, his life was in jeopardy. After all, now he was home, he would be sleeping in his own bed in his own room, the would-be-killer had finally revealed his face and made demands, and Jack was content to wait until the morning for answers.

He groped for a towel on the rack, tossing it over his head and rubbing it vigorously in an attempt to dry his hair. After a moment, he gave up and just let it hang damp, allowing the wet strands to fall onto his face. He quickly pulled on a pair of boxers and sweats and ambled into his bedroom.

His room was just as he'd left it: the bed unmade, a small pile of laundry building up at the foot of his bed, a stack of school books perched on his desk, and his laptop on his nightstand.

He grimaced. He hadn't checked his mail the entire time he'd been gone. He could only imagine the plethora of e-mails from teachers and friends alike demanding to know where he was and to send him work. He would have to come up with a convincing story.

As he logged in, his mind flashed back to dinner. The restaurant had been small, but cozy, with excellent food, and had been relatively empty. Jack had grilled Alex regarding the events of the past few months while Artemis, oddly quiet and withdrawn, picked at his salad. After finding his story satisfactory, she'd changed the conversation to a topic that Artemis could join in on. However, Artemis didn't seem to want to even _try_ to participate – which was strange, even for him. Jack had laughed it off later, when Artemis had retired for bed early, as a combination of nerves and jet lag. Alex knew better.

He sighed heavily, pushing his friend's strange behavior to the back of his mind. Right now he had 140 e-mails from his tutor, about 100 from various friends including Sabina Pleasure, and close to 180 from his principal and teachers at school. As he began to click through them, he received another one: this time from a 'youneedtoknow at aol dot com.' He frowned. Normally, he'd write it off as spam, but something in his gut told him otherwise. He clicked it open, watching with a racing heart as his video player popped up and a familiar face filled the tiny screen. He quickly ran through the video and felt his heart sink with each word.

Alex Rider jumped from his chair and, pulling his laptop with him, ran to his friend's room.

*****

Artemis was sitting on the bed, head resting on his knees, arms wrapped around his skinny legs. It was such an odd position for the young genius to be sitting in that Alex pulled up short when he entered. His friend raised his head and looked up at him, his eyes just as troubled and uncomfortable as they'd been in the hospital – as they had been for several days.

_There's something he's hiding from me,_ Alex thought with a pang. He'd thought that, given everything they'd been through, Artemis would trust him enough to keep him informed.

"Did you need something?" His voice was quiet and unnerving. Alex fought off shivers and he held up his laptop.

"I've been sent a video e-mail. It's not from the address that's been sending you e-mails, but it's the same guy," he explained. Was it his imagination, or did Artemis seem unsurprised by this news? "He says he knows you left and where you are . . ."

"May I watch it?"

The simple question threw Alex off guard. Since when did Artemis _ask_ to see something? He felt his eyes narrow and he studied his friend intensely. Artemis was more pale than usual and there seemed to be bags under his eyes. His shoulders were slumped slightly, completely unlike his usual perfect posture.

"What aren't you telling me?" he demanded. Artemis shook his head and Alex snapped, "Don't lie to me! I'm not an idiot, Artemis. You've been acting strange these past few days. I know there's something you're keeping from me. What is it?"

The raven haired teen took a deep breath and licked his lips. "I'm not hiding anything," he began slowly, not looking at Alex. "I'm just . . . uncomfortable with the thought of going against an opponent we know nothing about." His mismatched eyes (he'd taken his contacts out after heading to his room) finally met his friends brown ones, in an almost pleading way. "You have to understand, Alex," he paused, taking another breath, "we literally know nothing about him. Not who he is, where he is, what he knows or how he knows it. I've never – It's not a very comfortable feeling."

Alex watched him carefully. The reaction made sense: Artemis had always considered himself to be superior to everyone else because he was so much more intelligent than everyone. He'd always known all the variables when entering a situation. This time he didn't and, although he'd never admit it, the young spy had a feeling that the 'uncomfortable feeling' he had was fear. Artemis was afraid.

Alex felt a twinge of sympathy. In a way, Artemis couldn't admit that he was frightened – it would be too dangerous. How many times had Alex been terrified, but unable to let that feeling go because it would cost him, or someone else, their life? He wanted to talk to his friend about this, as he knew better than anyone the dangers of keeping your emotions locked in, but he also knew better than anyone the dangers of letting said emotions overwhelm you at the wrong time. Maybe after all this was done, he and Artemis would sit down and have a long talk.

For now, he'd let it go.

The young genius cleared his throat. "Can I see the video?"

"Hm?" Alex asked, slowly coming out of his reverie. "Oh, the video, yeah. Here." He passed over the laptop.

Hunter's face filled the screen again. He looked thoroughly annoyed.

"Artemis," he chastised, "Artemis, Artemis. Why would you leave the Manor? I gave you very specific, simple instructions. You keep boasting about how high your IQ is, but you can't manage to send me my things?" He clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Shame. Anyway, I wanted to tell you that, as corny as this sounds, I know where you are. Here, I'll prove it: You are in Chelsea, London. You are residing in the house that, currently, Alex Rider lives in. They gave you his Uncle's bedroom, which is the third room on the left at the top of the stairs. You ate at the Café Dinner, two blocks away from the airport." He smiled eerily.

"I know what you're doing, Arty," he said pleasantly (Artemis had scowled heavily at the screen at the use of his nickname), "I know exactly what you're doing. Given the circumstances, I think we can come to some sort of agreement." He straightened up, adjusting his crisp blue tie. "If you refuse to give me my things, I want yours," he smiled toothily, "meaning all your assets: money, cars, paintings, computers, credit cards, sculptures, inventions that haven't come out yet. In short, anything that has any monetary value to you. I would ask for your house, but I suppose that is not exactly yours to give . . .

"I will call you at midnight tonight. You have until then to think about it. Oh, and Artemis? I found you quite easily. I could, just as easily, find your family, your body guard, and your friends. If your answer is no I will kill them."

The screen went black.

Alex looked over at his friend. His pale face was blank, his eyes fixated on the screen. "What do we do?" He asked, unnerved by the other boy's calmness.

"Honestly," he glanced up, meeting Alex's eyes for a fraction of a second before looking away again and saying, "I don't know. I could just give him everything he is asking for, but his demands will just keep getting bigger. His ultimate goal is to humiliate me." He paused and touched the screen thoughtfully. "Can you forward this?" Alex nodded, seeming confused by the simple question. Why wouldn't he be able to forward it?

"Sometimes people put a virus into a video message," Artemis explained, as if reading his thoughts, "to either corrupt it after watching it or to leave the receiver unable to send a reply or forward the message. As we've watched it twice now, I think it safe to assume he hasn't corrupted the video. If you can, forward it to my e-mail: Foaly will pick it up there. If you can't, then save it and we'll call Foaly in the morning."

Alex nodded. "All right." He closed his laptop, still concerned about his friend. "Try to get some sleep," he advised. Artemis nodded and leaned back against the pillows.

The genius watched the young spy leave, feeling a lead ball drop in his stomach. Alex had believed every word. He truly believed that 'Hunter' had the ability to track them. He wasn't even thinking about the possibility that someone on the inside was feeding him information.

Artemis sighed heavily and drew his knees up to his chest again. Alex's predicament was, in its entirety, completely his fault.

_I really hate myself_, he thought.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: So, this is the longest chapter I've written (6 pages on Word) out of all my fics. WHOO for inspiration!

Thanks, as always to Eleni_pixie :-)

__________________

Jesse "Hunter" Slater was really regretting his decision. Sure, it paid well, this whole acting-as-a-double-to-steal-money-and-other-possessions-from-rich-people-gig he was doing. It paid extremely well. However, his employer (technically there were apparently two, but he'd only ever dealt with the boy) was crazy. A fifteen year old genius hell bent on becoming the richest teenager on the planet. Normally, his job was straight forward: record whatever message his boss wanted him to record, send it to him, and wait for the unlucky bastard to hand over whatever was being asked of him. But this new assignment? Well, this new job was not what he'd signed up to do.

The buzzing of the phone alerted him to his employer's arrival. He passed a tanned hand over the phone, extending a finger and pressing down on the number '1.' There was a faint buzzing – both doors unlocking – and then he heard the distant footsteps of his boss. Less than two minutes later, there was a soft knock on his door.

His employer, Imerial (a name which Jesse knew was an alias), struck an impressive figure for a fifteen year old. His Armani suit was dry-cleaned and pressed. His black tie was tied elegantly and perfectly around his neck. His shoes were custom made and polished. His pale face and contact lensed eyes gave away nothing. Altogether, he was a very intimidating sight.

"We have a problem," he began in a low voice, "a very large problem."

Jesse nodded. "Yeah, I heard about Chelsea."

They boy shook his head. "The commander wasn't supposed to have let that happen. No matter, I shall deal with her soon enough." He picked some imaginary lint off his sleeve. "Unfortunately, my dear friend, that is not our biggest issue."

Jesse swallowed thickly. "It's not?"

Imerial shook his head. "No. Our biggest issue is that, now that we've gone 'public,' it will be even more difficult to get Alex alone. Holly Short is living in an apartment not far from the house with Butler, Trouble, Mulch, and Vinyaya. It will be almost impossible to finish the job with them nearby. We need to stage a fight between Alex and Artemis. Something big, but believable. I was thinking that we could begin it during the video chat tonight."

The blond nodded. "All right, I'll see what I can come up with."

The pale teen smiled toothily. "Perfect."

***

Foaly was getting frustrated. Never, in all his life, could he remember a child giving him this much trouble! Even Artemis Fowl had been easier to dig up than this boy.

He sighed heavily. There was just one more continent left: Germany. Hopefully, his live satellites would find something. His nimble fingers tapped rapidly at the keys, pulling up the area he wanted. It was a large area - 137,847 square miles to be exact – with more than 300 million people to sift through. Luckily, Alex had received another, clearer, video message. It should be simple to compare Hunter to the database of people in the country.

Seven minutes later, he'd found what was he was looking for. He'd also found something he had not expected to see: Artemis Fowl.

Or, rather, someone who looked very much like Artemis.

The live-video showed two boys in a very small apartment. One was, undoubtedly, Hunter and the other was a fifteen year old boy, with pale skin and icy blue eyes. Foaly froze the video and zoomed in on the image, concentrating especially on the eyes. He peered closely, even going as far as to lean close to the screen. Contacts. The boy was wearing contacts to make his eyes that shade of blue.

He shook his head, muttering, "That's not possible."

He pulled up the intercom and deliberated. Holly would be the most pertinent choice – after all, she was in England with Fowl – but Butler knew Artemis better than anyone. More importantly, he knew Artemis' history better than the boy himself.

"Hello?" the bodyguard's gravelly tones grumbled.

"Butler, it's Foaly. Um, I've found . . . something, but I need a few questions answered before I can put together a hypothesis of what's going on." Before Butler could say anything, Foaly blurted, "Does Artemis have a twin?"

There was pause on the other end. "No," he answered, sounding confused. "Why would you ask?"

The centaur swallowed thickly. "I've found Hunter. He's in a small hotel in Germany . . ."

"What does that have to do with Artemis?" The bodyguard was on high alert now.

"Well, he was talking to a boy who, in every way, looks like Artemis. Same height, same build, same hair cut, same eyes, same skin tone."

"His eyes? Foaly, Artemis' – "

"Eyes are two different colors: I know," Foaly finished gravely. "I can't say for certain that they were hazel and blue as they were covered by contacts, but everything else is the same."

There was another pause and then Butler asked, in an eerily calm voice, "You think Artemis is involved in this?" Foaly didn't answer and Butler continued, still calm, "Foaly, think. I know you think Artemis is ruthless, and, maybe in some ways he is, but he's never put himself in danger. Not willingly anyway and never for nothing. What would he get out of summoning demons to attack a boy he's never met, posses his own mother to stab said boy, so that he can turn around and save him? What would he get out of hiring someone to harass himself? That doesn't even make sense!"

Foaly hesitated. "Well, it sort of does. MI6 wanted to look into him, remember? Alex is their top spy; putting him in danger threw them off his trail completely. He's a genius. He knew he would need something big to cover his tracks. By hiring someone to, seemingly, target himself, he proved himself innocent."

Butler growled, "He's in England, Foaly, living with Alex. Holly's in that house every day, keeping an eye on him. Trouble, Mulch, Vinyaya and myself are just a few blocks away. How do you propose he snuck all the way to Germany with no one noticing?"

The centaur paused. It was a good question. It wasn't like Fowl could have a SIM in England . . . "It's a SIM," he announced, more to himself than to the man on the other end, "in Germany. He sent a SIM and he's controlling to from England."

"With no one noticing?"

"It's not that difficult, honestly," Foaly said with a shrug, forgetting, momentarily, that Butler could not see him. "He could have programmed it with instructions beforehand."

"No," Butler said forcefully. "You're wrong, Foaly. Artemis is different now. He wouldn't willingly put those he cares about in danger, much less try to get them killed."

"Didn't Alex say he's been acting strange?" Foaly asked. "Maybe the strange behavior is the guilt gnawing at him?"

"You're seeing what you want to, Foaly. You want Artemis to be the bad guy because it's convenient and easy for you to deal with because, if it is Artemis you know what you're up against, you know what to expect and how to handle it."

"That's not –" Foaly objected.

"Oh, yes it is. You've wanted him mind wiped again, for this whole time, in spite of everything he's done. You're blaming him because, if you do, you get what you want. There are other explanations, Foaly. You and I both know that. You're not even looking for them."

Foaly was silent for a moment, stunned and hurt by the accusations. "What are they then, Butler? If you believe he's so innocent, find another option."

"What if he's being framed? The fairies aren't the only ones who've had a grudge against him over the years, what if someone is out to make it seem like he's doing this?"

"Someone who just happens to look like him?"

"It could be make-up," Butler reasoned.

Foaly sighed. "All right, I'll keep looking. In the meantime, I wouldn't tell your employer about this."

"Why? He can help."

Foaly nodded. "Yes, he can. However, I'm trying to look out for everyone's safety at once. If this isn't Artemis, then this impostor is not going to like us figuring this out. I can guarantee that he will know if Artemis finds out about this. Also," he paused, trying to phrase his answer as best not to offend the giant again, "if it is Artemis, he won't be too happy that we found out. Either way, if we tell Artemis someone will get hurt. Agreed?"

Butler sighed heavily. "I can't guarantee that Artemis won't find out: I can't lie to him and I'm sure he'll figure out that I'm keeping something from him."

"Do your best," Foaly advised. "This isn't just about proving him innocent, it's about keeping him, and everyone involved, safe."

"I'll try."

***

"You have to tell him, Artemis," Holly argued. "He can't tell Jack: he doesn't know that. He doesn't know why. You need to tell him."

Holly Short was very confused as to why she was having this argument with her friend in the first place. It wasn't like him to put the People's existence, or anyone else's, in jeopardy.

"He trusts her, Holly," Artemis explained wearily from his perch on the bed. He was, again, sitting with his arms around his knees, his back pressed up against the head board. "He doesn't think she'll tell anyone about the People. She hasn't said anything about his spy work, why would she say anything about this?"

Holly frowned and studied the boy on the bed. Alex had pressed his concern for the genius several times over the past few days. At first, Holly had shrugged it off but now, she had to admit, Alex had a point. It wasn't that she and Artemis were arguing over telling Jack, it was the fact that Artemis wasn't coming up with any clever comments or fantastic revelations to swoon her to his side. He could have convinced her in less than a minute but, after nearly twenty minutes, all he'd done was make her realize there was something very, very wrong.

Besides the strange personality change, there was a physical change in the boy was well. His skin, which was never the darkest, seemed sallow now: as if he was sick with the flu. There were large, dark shadows under his eyes (which seemed very lifeless). The most startling change, however, was his weight loss. As Artemis didn't have many pounds to lose in the first place, the effect was scary. He looked almost skeletal.

"Artemis," she said calmly, "it's not just about the People. You said it yourself, at the airport: Jack is in enough danger as it is. The more information we give her, the more trouble she gets into."

Artemis closed his eyes and Holly, after several moments, feared that he'd fallen asleep. "Telling her the truth won't put her in anymore danger, Holly. Either Hunter will assume we told her, even if we didn't, and hurt her to get information or he'd assume we didn't tell her and hurt her to hurt us."

"Not up to your usual par, mud boy," she said. "Look, Alex is worried about you; I'm worried about you. Hell, by now I'd be willing to bet that Butler's worried about you. You're not okay, Arty. It's obvious something is bothering you. Why don't you just be honest about it? And don't give me that crap about being afraid. We've faced worse than this. If both a pack of hungry trolls and a furious demon tribe didn't terrify you, I doubt a human boy would."

Artemis wiped a hand over his mouth and refused to meet her gaze. "I was afraid those times, Holly," he said quietly. "I just never showed it."

Holly paused, not entirely believing what she was hearing. "So," she asked, still confused about his point, "what makes this time any different? Why does he bother you?"

Artemis closed his eyes. "I don't know, Holly," he answered resignedly. He wet his lips. "I do believe we've gotten off topic."

She nodded, but made a note to bring the conversation up again later. "My answer's not going to change, Arty. I know Alex trusts her, and maybe she wouldn't say anything, but I can't risk her life for that."

Artemis glanced up and Holly was surprised at the anger she saw there. "What happened to the reckless captain I knew?" he demanded. "The one who never really followed the rules? Who did what she thought was right, no matter the consequences?"

Holly's eyes narrowed. "I am doing what I think is right! It's dangerous, Artemis, you know that. If you won't tell Alex, I will."

The boy refused to answer and Holly marched out of the room. She knew that part of her anger had come from the fact that she was bothered by his attitude. He'd always been stubborn, entirely convinced that he was right, but he also loved to prove it. To him, there was nothing more thrilling than winning an argument. His lack of energy was, to coin a phrase, "creeping her out."

Alex was sprawled out on the bed, surrounded by giant piles of homework. He looked relieved when she walked in.

"I probably should have checked my e-mail more," he explained, gesturing to the piles. "I have about seven months worth of homework to catch-up on."

The elf captain nodded sympathetically. Although it had been years since she'd been in school, she could completely sympathize with his unfortunate circumstance.

"Alex," she began formally, "we need to talk."

The boy nodded. "I know. I've wanted to talk to you, but you can go first."

She smiled slightly, feeling uncomfortable. "All right. Alex . . . you can't tell Jack about me. Indeed, you can't tell her about the fairy people at all." He frowned and she continued, "I understand you trust her, I do, but this isn't just about whether she'd tell. Not anymore. By telling her, you could be putting her in more danger."

Alex stared at her levelly. "I can't lie to her, Holly," he said. "I already promised to tell her the truth."

"I know, Alex," she said gently. "However this is for her safety."

"Then she should have a say," he argued stubbornly.

The elf sighed. "I understand, Alex, but right now its way too dangerous for everyone." She paused. "You said you wanted to talk to me?"

Alex wasn't fooled by the change of subject, but he played along anyway. Artemis' behavior was far more pertinent than fighting with Holly. "Artemis. I'm worried about Artemis . . . "

***

Jack pressed a few buttons on the microwave. Although she'd gotten into the habit of scrubbing the house, she hadn't gotten into the habit of really cooking food. Frozen dinners were still a staple at the Rider house.

"Jack?" a voice sounded behind her and she turned to look at Alex. He had a nervous, yet determined look on his face. "I think we need to talk."

Jack smiled sadly. Alex should not, as a sixteen year old boy, be speaking so formally. "Are you going to tell me what happened?"

He winced. "Well, that's what we need to talk about. You see, Artemis – and the others involved – think me telling you will put you in too much danger . . ." he trailed off uncertainly.

"And that's stopped me before?" She looked at him questioningly.

Alex smiled, instantly relaxing. "Very true." He took a deep breath and then began; "You're not going to believe me . . ." He took another deep breath and then told her everything.

He was right; she didn't believe him.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N**: As always, thanks to the lovely Eleni_pixie for the editing ^^

* * *

Jack sat alone in the kitchen, lost in thought. Had it not been in Alex's nature to joke, she would have thought he was pulling her leg. Invisible fairies had performed an exorcism on him? Alex and Artemis were being stalked by a man who had sent the ghosts upon him? Surely, it was Alex's twisted idea of a joke? No one in their right mind would honestly think . . .

A flicker of unease shot through her. Maybe Alex wasn't in his right mind after all. He'd been sent to a psychiatrist, true, but MI6 had never deemed him mentally stable. Perhaps the problem he'd been having with those nightmares was more serious than she'd originally thought.

She sighed and laid her head on the table. This was way out of her league. Spies and assassins she could deal with. Fairies and ghosts were a whole other subject matter.

A pair of feet appeared under the table, just next to her. She raised her head, and met the icy blue eyes of her house-guest.

"I'm sorry," he apologized looking uncomfortable. "I did not mean to disturb you. I was thirsty . . ." he trailed off, looking unsure.

"Oh, no, it's fine." Jack frowned up at him. The fact that Artemis had changed so much in so little time had not gone unnoticed by her. "Artemis, may I ask you something?"

The boy hesitated, looking even more uncomfortable than before. "Yes."

She paused, trying to gather her thoughts and phrase the question the right way. She didn't want the psychiatrist to think that she believed Alex about the invisible fairies. "Alex . . . Alex told me something tonight that, sort of, well, frightened me a little. I was just wondering if – if he's really o.k."

Artemis frowned slightly while his sharp blue eyes wandered over Jack's face. "I believe that he's fine – the nightmares were caused by post-traumatic stress. Didn't he tell you this?"

She looked away and picked at her nails, forcing herself to concentrate on them instead of the boy standing in front of her. "Um, yes, he did." She swallowed thickly. She didn't really want to tell Artemis about the conversation with Alex, but she felt that she needed to. "He also told me some other things . . ."

Artemis glanced at her sharply. "What other things?" he demanded.

Jack swallowed again. "Things . . .He said that he could see invisible fairies and that his 'nightmare' problem was really ghosts attacking him in his sleep. He said that he'd been stabbed by a person who was possessed by one of these ghosts. He told me many things about you . . ." she trailed off again, looking helplessly up at Artemis. "How can he be o.k. if he believes all that?"

Artemis stared at her levelly. "You don't believe him?" She shook her head and he took a deep breath. He glanced upward, in an almost guilty manner. "Miss Starbright, Alex . . . is telling the truth. Everything he told you was true."

***

Imerial stretched out his long legs and sighed contentedly. Things were working out better than he had hoped – and with minimal effort on his part. Artemis was distancing himself from his friends, and even creating a riff between them by telling Jack the truth. It wasn't exactly as he'd planned, but, then again, what plan ever transferred smoothly from paper to life? Even that minor setback with Foaly was working to his advantage.

His door opened, without any announcement from the intruder, although he didn't much mind. He was in too good of a mood for the sight of those bouncy, golden curls to irk him.

She flounced over to his bed and stood in front of it, facing him, and crossed her arms. "We have a problem," she said, irritated.

He raised a single, thin eye brow, not at all nonplussed by this news. Minerva was always saying there was a problem. "Oh?" he asked delicately, "and what may that be?"

"Foaly. This whole mission depends on him giving Artemis the benefit of the doubt. He suspects Artemis to have a hand in this whole scheme and I'd be willing to bet that he is already doing checks on him. Eventually, he will find you. And me," she added as an afterthought.

He chuckled. "Oh, _mon Cherie_, how touching. You're worried about me."

She scowled in an almost playful way. "Perhaps, but that's not the point. I want my revenge. I cannot get it alone, not this far in the game." She peered down at him suspiciously. "Don't you still want revenge?"

The detached manner in which Imerial had been operating disappeared like a wisp of smoke. He leapt to his feet, his pale face twisted in fury, his sharp, white teeth bared in a snarl. He leaned forward and, for one wild instant, Minerva actually thought he might attack her.

"How can you ask me that, you insolent little girl?!" he screamed. "You know what he did to me!" He raised a hand and Minerva physically flinched away from him, but all he did was point at a shelf some four feet above their heads. The shelf itself was crowded with trophies of all sizes and shapes. However, right in the center was a spacious hole.

"He's always beaten me, always! By mere flukes as well! That trophy should have been mine! His stupid "brain wave machine," what use is that, hmm? None, I tell you. The only reason he ever won was because of his father!" Spittle was now flying from his mouth and his icy blue eyes were bulging slightly. A vein was throbbing in his temple his hands – waving around Minerva's head in his fury – were trembling.

Minerva backed away from him. As she did so, her knees hit the edge of the bed and she toppled backwards. After several long moments – in which Imerial sputtered incoherently – he finally calmed down. He glared down at her on the bed.

"Do not," he ordered fiercely, "ever think that I want this revenge more than you do. I want to see Artemis Fowl II brought down. I want to see him beg and cry at my feet, like it's supposed to be!"

Minerva did not comment and Imerial returned to his seat.

"This situation with Foaly is not as dire as you think. It simply means that we will reap out benefits sooner rather than later. I will instruct Jessie to make comment on it tonight during the video chat. This whole thing will be long over before Foaly manages to trace this all back to me."

Minerva nodded, still flat on her back on the bed, still far too terrified to speak. Although Imerial was not known for his docile temper, this was the first time she'd ever felt truly frightened by him.

Imerial sighed heavily and extended a pale hand out to her. "I'm sorry, my dear," he said consolingly. "I did not mean to frighten you, nor did I mean to lose my temper. Could you forgive me?"

She stared, wide-eyed and the proffered hand. Then, slowly, she reached out and took it. "I suppose," she said quietly. She allowed him to pull her into a sitting position.

She cleared her throat once upright and returned to her original point. "We must not underestimate Foaly. Instruct Jessie as you will, but be mindful of the centaur. The sooner we finish this, the better."

***

"You did what?!" Holly short demanded, glaring at the two boys in front of her.

"We told her the truth," Alex said. His voice was calm, but Holly could detect a definite trace of defiance there as well.

"And you . . ." she trailed off, turning her gaze to the boy, once again, huddled on the bed.

"Confirmed it," Artemis answered tonelessly.

"Have – You – I can't – Gah! D'Arvit Artemis!" she exclaimed. "How could you do this? I told you how dangerous it was! Not only is this a legal nightmare, you have no idea how much danger we put that poor girl in!"

Artemis wet his lips and looked up at her, meeting her gaze for the first time since the fight began. "Holly –"

"Don't even!" Holly snapped, pointing a finger in his direction. "I don't know what your problem has been these past few days, mud-boy, but I'm telling you right now you need to get over it. You want to destroy yourself, that's one thing, but I refuse to let you pull others down with you!"

She opened her mouth, as if to yell again, but a metallic beeping pulled her up short.

"It's the video chat," Alex explained. "Hunter's calling."

Holly glanced over at him. "Answer it."

Alex clicked a few buttons and Hunter's face filled the computer screen. "Alex, Holly," he greeted. "Artemis. I hope I find you both . . .well." His eyes traveled over to Artemis' new skeletal form. "Hmm," he mused. "Perhaps not."

He cleared his throat and straightened up. "Here's the deal: I grow weary of these games. You cannot hope to beat me and, quite frankly, it is just a waste of all our time. I want what I asked for."

"Not a chance," Artemis said, speaking from his perch on the bed.

Hunter raised an eyebrow. "Artemis," he reasoned, "be smart about this. You know nothing about me, yet I know everything about you. There is no way you can win. Just give me what I want and it will all stop."

"What exactly is it, again, that you want?" Holly asked.

"Oh, a few things," Hunter said airily. "None the least of which is for Artemis to step down. I want him to hand over everything he's got. Money, patents, cars, prizes, employees, pets, books, technology. Anything and everything." He paused, considering.

"I know that's a lot," he almost sounded sympathetic, "so I'm going to give you some incentive: Give me what I want or I start killing. Your mother, your father, your brothers, your body guard, your friends – all of them. I will be arriving in three days. I will take you back to the manor, kicking and screaming if I have to (which, by the way, my army is stronger than your Butler and your fairy crack-team) and you will give me what I want.

"So, what say you?"

"No way –"

The rest of Alex's retort was cut off. Not by a loud sound, not by means, but by something so quiet Alex was unsure if it had really been made. To him, it sounded like the skinny boy behind him had said, "Alright."

Hunter's face split into a grin. "That's my boy, finally speaking sense!" he crowed, while Alex and Holly simultaneously turned to look at Artemis. "I will see you in three days." He cut the connection.

"You've lost your mind," Holly said, in a disbelieving tone.

"You did not just seriously agree to that," Alex asked in the same tone. "I mean, you've got something up your sleeve, right? You didn't just, honestly, agree to hand over everything you own?"

Artemis averted his gaze. "I did," he said quietly. "We've been at this for weeks, and we have gotten nowhere. It's time it was ended before someone gets hurt." He took a deep breath. "If that means handing over everything I own, so be it."


End file.
